A Common Life
by My Beautiful Ending
Summary: The sequel to Hope's What We Crave. A selection of oneshots and short stories involving Elijah, Leah, the kids, and the rest of the Mikaelson family. The family has to learn to get along... or do they?
1. Perfect Flaws

**HEY GUYS! This is the promised sequel! Exciting, right? I decided, instead of having half a dozen 3 part stories and one shots floating around fanfiction and you all maybe missing some and not knowing where stuff was, this is where I am putting all the short sequels for Hope's What We Crave! Within this will be multiple stories. So alert, favorite, because you never know when something else will show up in here! I hope y'all enjoy! :)**

**(I'll try to keep them in chronological order, but no promises. I'll always tell you when they are in the timeline, though.)**

* * *

(set about a year after Hope's What We Crave)

**Perfect Flaws**

"Hawk the Hewold angels siiiing, glowwy toooo the newbown kiiing! Peace on earf, and mewcy mild, God and sinners weconciled!" Grace bellows through the house as Leah and Malachi decorate the skinny Christmas tree in the corner.

"Ugh," Malachi mumbles, handing her more multicolored balls. "Mom…"

"I think I prefer belted Christmas carols to silence," Leah says, smiling down at her son. She takes the ornaments from him and place them around the lights and tinsel.

"But it's so _loud,_" Malachi complains.

"Joyful all ye nation wise, join the twiumph of the skyyyy," Grace hollers, coming into the living room. She has dressed up one of her dollies like an angel, cutting out pink construction paper wings for her. She is now flying her around the house.

"Can you use an inside voice, honey?" Leah says, trying to compromise. But Grace hasn't gained the concept of "loud" and "soft" in the year that she's decided to start talking –just "on" and "off."

Grace looks at her funny. "Mommy, I'm _singin'."_

"Oh. Silly me," Leah says, hiding an eye roll. "Malachi, you want to hand me the star?"

Malachi obliges as Grace resumes her song.

"Wif angelly toast pwoclaim, Cwist is bown in Befleheeeem!"

The doorbell peals cheerfully, finally fixed, and Malachi rushes to answer it, leaving Grace to warble the rest of her carol to Leah. "Hawk! The Hewold angels siiing, glowwy toooo the newbown kiiing!"

"Someone sounds like quite the opera star in the making," Elijah says, following Malachi into the living room.

"You're kidding, right?" Ky asks him. They share an amused grin.

"She was on key, for the most part," he points out.

"Well, someone's right on time," Leah says, pleased.

"Aren't I always?" Elijah asks.

She turns her face up to him for a kiss, and he obliges. She will never tire of his lips. "Yes," she admits with a smile.

"Where do you want me?" Elijah says, shucking off his jacket.

So many things pop into her mind, but she resists saying them, with a little bit of effort. The knowledge that Malachi is old enough to probably get a lot of innuendo helps, as well as the smirk hiding at the corner of Elijah's mouth. She's not going to take his bait.

"The kitchen," she says simply, smiling. "I was promised delicious goodness."

"And you know I keep my promises," Elijah says, rolling up his sleeves.

Yes, she knows full well. "Grace, do you want to help Elijah make cookies?"

Grace squeals. "Cookies, cookies, cookies!" With each syllable she bounces.

Leah smiles apologetically to Elijah. "She's been a ball of energy all day. You get to tire her out."

"I'm sure we can do that," Elijah says, gazing happily at her daughter. "Come on, Grace. What kind of cookies do you like best?"

"Chocolate," Grace says immediately. "And bwownies."

"Brownies aren't a cookie," he tells her.

"So?"

Leah chuckles as the two travel to the kitchen.

* * *

Three hours later, her kitchen is a mess of flour and sugar and chocolate, but she's got trays of chocolate chip cookies, Christmas fudge, and sugar cookies all over the kitchen, one man with some flour streaked across his cheek, and a very sticky five year old. Said five year old is currently slathering a glob of green icing over a tree-shaped sugar cookie.

"Someone had a good time," Leah says, reaching up to wipe the excess flour off of his cheek.

Elijah grins. "We did indeed. Are you satisfied with our end result?"

"Well, it certainly looks delicious," Leah says, eyeing the desserts. "And there's enough to keep us until far past New Year's, so… I'll say yes."

"You'd better try one, just to make sure," he says. "Close your eyes."

She gives him a funny look.

"I'm not going to smoosh anything in your face, if that's what you're thinking," he says, laughing.

"Okay…" she says, letting her eyes close and opening her mouth. "Mmmm." The sugar cookie tastes wonderful, so much better than store-bought. And the icing –ohhh, yummy. Is that homemade as well?

She swallows and opens her eyes to ask him, but stops. Elijah still holds out the cookie in front of her.

It's bigger than the others, with a lot of white icing and a shaky looking question mark drawn on it right above her bite. But above _that_, imbedded in the icing, is a diamond ring.

Her mouth is dry and she _really _wants some water to wash down the crumbs in her mouth. "Um."

"Grace helped me ice it," Elijah says quietly, watching her face.

"Um." She wishes she could form words intelligibly.

"I dwew the qwestion mawk," Grace informs her proudly from the kitchen table.

"I love it," Leah finally manages to get out, but she's looking at Elijah when she says it.

"Leah," Elijah says, reaching for her hand.

My word, why is she tearing up? He hasn't even… he's just holding her hand, it might not even be… "Is… is that…" she tries to say, looking up at Elijah, full of fear, full of hope.

"Leah Evangeline, I love you," he says. "I love you, and I love your children. This year that I've known you has been one of the best years of my life."

She laughs a little, because she knows how many years he has seen.

"It's true," he says with a smile of his own, and kneels down on her kitchen linoleum. Her hand goes to her mouth. "You have a rare inner beauty that captured my heart. You reach out to others without hesitation, and you want to heal the brokenness in everyone –even in me."

The tears are falling now, but she can't look away from his face –so full of the love he wants to pour into her. She is a broken vessel, unworthy.

"Neither of us is perfect," he whispers. "And I can't promise perfection; that would be foolish. But I can promise that I will love and protect you and your children until the end of time… if you will let me."

She is reminded of a time where he said much the same, asking for a chance to heal her and redeem her, if she'd let him. And it was scary and difficult, but she stepped out in faith, she decided to trust… and she's never had such joy before. She squeezes his hand, hard. "I love you," she whispers brokenly.

"Will you marry me, Leah?" Elijah whispers.

She nods as the tears stream freely down her face. "Yes, yes!" she says, and he stands and his lips come down on hers, and the taste of him is the sweetest thing she has ever experienced. He kisses away the salt on her skin and slips the diamond onto her finger, the place she'd never thought a ring would rest again. It's simple and beautiful, and she loves it.

Grace tugs on their legs with sticky hands. "Is 'Lijah goin' to be my daddy now?" she asks.

Before Leah can answer, Elijah kneels down again, taking hold of Grace's hands. "Do you want me to be?" he asks very seriously.

"Yes!" Grace says emphatically, throwing her arms around Elijah. He laughs and picks her up, spinning her around.

She wonders if hearts could burst with happiness. Leah turns to the kitchen doorway where Malachi lurks with the biggest grin on his face. She opens her arms, and he comes to hug her.

"You knew," she whispers into his hair.

"Yeah," Ky says. "Elijah asked me if I'd be okay with it." He smiles. "I am."

"He helped pick out the ring, too," Elijah says, as Grace giggles with delight. "You know, it's not so easy to pick out jewelry for the woman who makes it for a living."

"Oh?" she says, wrapping an arm around him.

He shakes his head, smiling.

"Surely a thousand years of experience…"

"I've never gone engagement ring shopping before," he says. "This was a completely new experience."

"I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go along, then," she whispers.

"Yes," he murmurs, "We will." He kisses her again, and she knows that right now, with the four of them together in the kitchen, she is whole.

They are not perfect and she is a broken vessel but through the holes and cracks, love can flow out and make something beautiful.

They are not perfect, but your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.


	2. Engagement Outtakes, Part 1

**ENGAGEMENT Outtakes: Part 1**

Elijah towels off his hair and glances at the clock. He's got plenty of time yet. Shrugging on a shirt, he buttons it and goes over his plan again. Hopefully, it will go off without a hitch.

Hopefully.

"Elijah! Elijah, I need your advice," Klaus yells, throwing open the door to his bedroom.

Elijah takes a deep breath and resists the urge to cast his gaze up to the ceiling in irritation. He still has plenty of time. "What is it, Niklaus?"

"Tell me what to do," Klaus says, sitting down on Elijah's bed.

"You'll have to be more specific." Elijah buttons his cuffs and walks to the bathroom. "Besides, whenever I try, you don't listen."

"Tell me how to make Caroline like me."

"I thought she did." Elijah raises an eyebrow at his brother in the mirror.

Klaus scowls. "She did, but she's gotten her nose out of joint. Again."

"And you need my advice? Niklaus, are you really telling me that a thousand years worth of experience can't help you court this woman?"

"Well…." Klaus scowls. "Obviously there must be different approaches, because whatever you're doing actually works."

Elijah smirks. He's right about that. "What has she been saying?"  
"Caroline?"

"Yes." Elijah picks up his toothbrush and applies the toothpaste.

"She says she wants me to get over myself. She wants to talk…." He trails off. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like, Niklaus?" Elijah asked through a mouth full of toothpaste.

"We're _vampires,_ we don't have tooth decay," his brother scoffs.

Elijah continues to brush. "But we do have bad breath. Usually smelling like blood."

"Why are… where are you going?" Klaus says, finally getting a good look at what Elijah is wearing. "That's your nice suit."

"Thank you for noticing." Elijah spits the suds into the sink and rinses his mouth. "If you must know, I'm going over to Leah's house."

"Oh."

"I'm going to ask her to marry me," Elijah adds, watching his brother's reacting.

It's a doozy. "What… _marry_ you?" Klaus scoffs, laughing from incredulity. "Marry you? Are you that infatuated with a –a four, five year old vampire –"

"Niklaus," Elijah snaps. "Pot. Kettle." He narrows his eyes.

Klaus loses steam. "Point taken," he mumbles, passing a hand over his eyes. "But Elijah, what about _us?"_

"Who is 'us'?" Elijah shrugs on his coat.

"Rebekah and Kol and I, your _family!_ What happened to 'always and forever'?" His brother stares at him. "I thought you were a man of your word –"

"And I am!" Elijah says. "Niklaus. What makes you think that my decision to marry Leah takes me away from you?" He sighs. "You're so caught up in thinking that everyone is going to leave you. Brother, I'm not. But I love Leah, and I want her in my life. I'm not leaving this family, I'm adding to it." He frowns. "And I thought you liked Leah."

"I –well…."

"You do, admit it," Elijah says, plucking up his car keys and checking that the box is in his suit coat pocket. "You like Leah _and_ Grace _and_ Malachi. Niklaus," he says, taking his brother by the shoulder, "for the first time in years, our family is going to _grow_."

Klaus looks him in the eye and sighs, any bitterness draining away. An amused, wicked look replaces it. "_If_ she says yes."  
"Thank you for reminding me," Elijah grumbles.

"Did you get her a nice ring?"

"Of course I did."

"How are you going to ask her?"

"I'll tell you later," Elijah says with a chuckle. "Call Caroline. Ask her to dinner. Let her talk, and answer her questions." He claps him on the shoulder. "It's like jumping off a diving board."

"What is?"

"Falling in love." He smiles. "Just take the plunge."

"Good luck!" Klaus calls after him as he walks out the door.

Elijah gets in his car and turns it on. "Hopefully I won't need it," he whispers.

* * *

**Isn't he a cutie? :) Announcement 1: There is a playlist for this story on 8tracks! The link, for your listening pleasure, in case anyone is interested. put in 8tracks dot com and then add /piratesmuggler /elijah-and-leah**

**Announcement 2: I've had requests in the past for more K/C stuff in this story. And I love Caroline to bits, she's great. Klaus... well, out of all the originals, he's tied with Finn for my 4th favorite. So, if any of you care to see more of this pairing in greater detail, I invite you to wax eloquent about your feelings for them, why they work together, how you see their relationship, etc, in a review. And we'll see if I get any inspiration or not. **

**And thank you so much for all the reviews/favorites already -I open my email every day and am BLOWN AWAY. Seriously, y'all rock. **


	3. Engagement Outtakes, part 2

**Engagement Outtakes: Part 2**

The first person Leah tells, of course, is Fay, who was firmly ensconced in finals week at her college. Her screech echoes down the phone line. "YES! Finally!"

"What do you mean finally?" Leah says.

"What, like Elijah hasn't been planning this for a while. Or at least thinking about it."

Leah smiles and says nothing, just looks at the lovely diamond on her finger. "So, are you going to be my maid of honor or what?"

"Me?" Fay says, shocked. "Doesn't the maid of honor have to, like, run the wedding and stuff?"

"Well, sometimes…"

"Leah, I love you to bits, but I am not maid of honor material," Fay says firmly. "Ask Caroline. She'll love it and thrive."  
Leah sighs, but can see that this is probably true. "What about a bridesmaid?" She offers.

"I'll be the wedding photographer and save you all a lot of money," Fay decides. "Say, do vampires show up in pictures? That'd be awkward to only have Ky and Grace in the shots."

"Shut up," Leah says good naturedly, and calls Caroline.

Her screech is almost as ear splitting, and she accepts the maid of honor position immediately. "Okay –venues, dress, cake, flowers, decorations –this is going to be so much fun!"

Leah laughs. I'm glad you think so."

"You are going to have the best wedding ever!" Caroline declares, and what Caroline declares is law, so Leah believes her and hands her the reins.


	4. Wedding Prep

**Wedding Prep**

"Thank you _so much,_ Rebekah," Leah breathes as the blond girl walks in the door. Caroline is going to be here any minute and Grace is almost bouncing off the walls –where has this energy come from?

"It's fine," Rebekah says, waving away her thanks. "I'd rather be here than deciding exactly what kind of napkins you want at the reception."

"Honestly, I'd kind of like to be here, too," Leah admits under her breath. But she has managed to wrangle an actual budget out of Elijah instead of the vague "get whatever you want" promise, and she's going to stick to it. Having oodles of money is no reason to be extravagant. So she and Caroline are off to the stores, and Malachi is off at a friend's house, and Elijah is helping Klaus with something (hopefully it's something innocuous and not nefarious) and Rebekah's got Grace.

"Grace, Bekah's here!" she says, trying to discover where her purse has got to.

"Aunt Beksa!" Grace shrieks, bouncing out of her room like a little gazelle on steroids.

Rebekah laughs and swings her up with no effort at all. "Looks like this little miss needs to run off some energy."

Grace leans forward and whispers in Rebekah's ear, "I had cookies."

Leah hears. "You mean the cookies I told you very specifically you could not have an hour ago?" Purse found, she now looks up from the hunt for her jacket.

Grace bites her lip and glances at Rebekah for back up. "Well, don't look at me," Rebekah says, "I'm just the sitter."

"We'll have a talk when you get back, Grace," Leah warns. "No more cookies, no dessert, just lunch. A _healthy _lunch."

"Mooomaaaa," Grace whines.

"No ma'am," Leah says firmly. "And you'll listen to Bekah while I'm gone. Oh, Bekah," she says, just remembering. She darts into her workroom and grabs something she's been meaning to give for a while. "This is for you." She holds out a tiered necklace of many gold strands with little interlocking geometric shapes.

Rebekah stands with her mouth open, staring at the necklace. "For me?" she asks in a small voice.

"Yeah, to say thanks for everything you've done to help out with the kids. And because we're going to be sisters in a couple months," Leah says, smiling shyly.

Rebekah sets Grace down on the floor gently before reaching out to touch the delicate strands with one finger. "I've never had a sister," she whispers.

Leah smiles and swallows against the burn of emotion. "Well, you do now," she declares, giving the girl a hug.

When Leah leaves the house with Caroline, the necklace is snug around Rebekah's neck as she holds Grace's hand to wave goodbye.


	5. The Hunter Encounter: Part 1

**The Hunter Encounter: Part 1**

(set a few months after HWWC but before the Engagement)

Since Mystic Falls has gained a reputation as a supernatural hotspot, the odd hunter that shows up every couple months is expected. Depending on whom they encounter, they either leave town with extremely confused memories or take a very fast trip to the woods –where, presumably, they are still.

If they truly are vampire hunters, they know what they're getting into, and they can either handle it or they can't. Sometimes they aren't even vampire-specific, so if they find a ghost or some other creature first, they usually pack up and leave. Elijah doesn't quibble with the status quo, as a whole.

He does, however, take exception to those who accost people he cares about.

He has made plans to meet Leah and Grace at the library and take them to lunch, but Rebekah called him to complain about recent Klaus drama (he has taken issue with another of her flames, _again)_, and it has made him a few minutes late.

He is a block away on foot when he spots them on the library's steps being waylaid by –yes, he's wearing plaid and hiking boots, sports vaguely concealed weapons, and his body language spells 'menacing' –it's a hunter.

Unfortunately, noon is downtown Mystic Fall's hot time of the day –nearly everyone is out walking around, so he can't arrive at their side in a blink, as he would like. He forces himself to keep walking at a human pace.

Leah glares at whatever the man has to say. Her grip on her purse and book bag is rigid, and she has shoved Grace behind her, but she is leaning away from him. She's intimidated. Elijah suspects she forgets, sometimes, that she's a vampire with heightened strength and speed. It's something that just doesn't occur to her –or at least, it doesn't give her confidence. She has grown stronger –if anyone tries anything with her children, she becomes a lioness –but she is slower summoning the same defenses for herself.

He would like to give her a world where she doesn't need them.

"Hello, darling," he says, climbing the steps effortlessly and giving her a wide smile. Leah locks eyes with him, anxious. "Sorry I'm late." He slips his hand in hers and gives the hunter a look.

They trade understanding –the hunter realizes that he is now dealing with _another_ vampire who knows exactly what he was trying to do, and is extremely unimpressed and quite irritated.

"Who's this?" Elijah asks, his voice deceptively light. A hidden razor edge lurks just below the surface. Unfortunately, as much as he wants to, he can't rip his heart out in broad daylight or compel him –he's undoubtedly on vervain.

"Just leaving," Leah forces out, squeezing his hand. He rubs his thumb over her fingers.

"Glad to hear it." The words carry an undercurrent of a growl.

The hunter opens his mouth, but Elijah doesn't care to hear anything he has to say. "You can go now," he says tersely, upping his expression to a glare.

The hunter's lip curls, apparently disliking being on the receiving end of intimidation. "Perhaps I'm not being clear," Elijah says, deadly quiet. Is he really stupid enough to pull something in the middle of the street? "This is a threat."

After a few seconds, the hunter, glowering, backs down the steps and blends into the crowd of pedestrians.

Leah releases the breath she's been holding and leans into Elijah. He wraps her up in his arms and kisses her hair. "Are you all right?"

She nods. "Just a little …on edge."

"And what about you, Miss Grace?" Elijah asks.

"Yep," Grace says with perfect candor.

"You weren't scared?" Leah asks, surprised.

"No," Grace says, like that's the silliest thing she's ever heard of.

"Well, that's good," Leah says under her breath.

"What did he say to you?" Elijah asks as he leads them down the steps and in the opposite direction.

"I noticed that he smelled like vervain, and I got nervous," Leah admits. "And he noticed. He said things about why I carted a human child around with me." She shivers. "He asked if I was going to eat her later."

Elijah very much regrets not making a scene.

"But you showed up right on time," she says, squeezing his hand. "My knight in shining armor."

"I aim to please, milady," he says, smiling.

"Elijah?" He turns, and she wraps her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she says, eyes glowing, before kissing him on the mouth.

Surprised and extraordinarily pleased, he kisses back with equal enthusiasm.

"Mooooooom," Grace says, getting tired of the kissing that has been happening quite regularly, a development he is very happy about.

He pulls back from Leah with a last peck on her lips and swings Grace up into his arms. "Oh, did you want one?" he laughs, planting a kiss on her cheek.

She shrieks with laughter even as she struggles to get down. " 'Lijaaaah!"

Leah smiles and hooks her arm through his elbow. "Let's go eat," she says.

"Lead the way."


	6. The Hunter Encounter: Part 2

**AN: UGH guys I'm so sorry, school started and we all went crazy. Many apologies. Y'all are the best.**

**The Hunter Encounter: Part 2  
**

Leah loads her shopping bags into the trunk of her car and hands the cart to Malachi to push over to the cart return. "Thanks Mom!" he hollers over the cart's rattling. Leah just smiles.

Malachi tries so hard to remember everything, and rarely do things slip his mind. But this was a rare time, and he had forgotten supplies for a project –due tomorrow, no less. So she figured she might as well pick up a few things too, hence why they're at the grocery store as dusk is falling

Grace yawns in her car seat. "Done!" Ky exclaims, running back to the car as the wind picks up. Leah opens her mouth to say something –and stops short. She smells blood. A lot of it, and close by.

"Ky, get in the car," she says, slamming the trunk.

"Where are you going?" Malachi asks, pausing with his hand on the door handle.

"I need to check something. Get in the car, I won't be a minute," Leah assures him, walking towards the edge of the parking lot where the shadows already stretch long. Plugging up her nose, she cautiously turns the corner.

Someone has gotten a hold of the brash hunter from this morning and chewed him up pretty well. His breath rattles in his chest as he leans against the building in a puddle of blood, unconscious and still.

It takes a second for Leah to move. Hesitantly, she listens for a pulse –it's weak, but it's there –and then she acts. "Sir?" she says, tapping him on the shoulder. Where is he injured besides his neck? "Hey," she says, a little louder. "Can you hear me?" A groan is all she gets in return.

The kids are in the car. He's badly hurt. Would it be better just to let nature take its course? He might wake up and crawl away. Or he might not.

_I can't just leave him here._

She reaches down and carefully pulls him up. He groans again, and his eyes flutter. "I'm taking you to the hospital," she says. "Please don't try to stake me or something."

Taking a chance, she blurs across the parking lot. "Hop in the back, Ky," she says.

Ky gets out and helps him get in the passenger side. "Who is that? What happened, Mom?"

Leah gets in the front seat and starts the motor. "He's a hunter. I don't know, we're taking him to the hospital." It's only four blocks away; he can make it.

"Uh, so why are we helping him?"

"Because he needs help."

"Didn't you run into a hunter today?"

"Yep." She presses the gas and goes through a yellow light.

"Is that him?"

"Yes."

"So why are we helping him?" Malachi demands.

She bites her lip and sighs. "We don't return wrongs, Ky."

* * *

Leah waits with her phone to her ear, looking through the window of the hospital room at the man in the bed. Grace and Malachi sit on chairs down the hall. Ky's working on his project, and Grace is "helping."

Finally, the call connects. "Hello, Leah," Elijah says, somewhat surprised.

"Hi," she says tiredly. "I can't help thinking you might not be very happy with me."

"Why would you think that?" he asks curiously.

"Because I drove a wounded hunter to the hospital," she murmurs. "Same one from earlier today."

"Really?"

"Well, I couldn't leave him to bleed out in a parking lot," she says, becoming a little defensive.

"I didn't say you should have. Why did you think I'd be unhappy with you?"

Leah leans against the cool wall. "I don't know," she admits. "It doesn't seem like something a vampire would do."

"It certainly sounds like something you would do," Elijah says.

Oh. It does, doesn't it? "So you're not mad, "Leah checks.

"No. And even if I was, I don't think that's a compelling enough reason to keep you from doing what you think is right."

Leah smiles. "Good, because I don't regret it."

"What do you plan to do now, my pretty saint?" Elijah asks.

"I'm going to stick around for a while to make sure he's okay," she says. "Dr. Fell said she'd make sure trouble doesn't come looking for him –and that he won't cause trouble, either."

"That's a good plan," he says. "Do you need me for anything?"

"I don't think so, but if I do, I'll call."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Elijah."

She hangs up the phone and waits around for an hour until Dr. Fell declares him definitely stable. Then she takes the kids home and puts them to bed. In the morning, after Ky leaves for school, Leah calls the hospital. They inform her that the John Doe checked himself out early that morning, and when she double checks with Dr. Fell, she assures Leah that she has it on good authority that the man got to his vehicle and was last seen headed out of town.

Leah hangs up the phone and sits at the kitchen table for a long moment before nodding to herself.

"Gracie," she calls down the hall, "what do you want for breakfast?"


	7. Dancing

**Dancing**

"Is this such a good idea," Leah asks, as Bekah turns on her ipod and plugs it in.

"Of course it is," Kol says, holding out his hands in the absolutely huge Mikaelson ballroom. "Elijah and Klaus won't be back until eight tonight."

She sifts slightly, feeling odd in leggings and a sleeveless dress after a long winter of sweaters and jeans. "Come on Leah," Fay says, crossing her arms, "You said you wanted to learn how to dance for the wedding, didn't you?"

"Yes…"

"So what's the problem?" Fay says.

"You danced wonderfully at our ball," Kol says. "I remember. Now come on." He takes her hand. "Waltzing first, to start on familiar ground, and then we can go toward something fun like the Charleston."

"Great," Leah says faintly.

"Come on, Mom," Ky says from the corner where he and Grace are coloring, "you've got this!"

"Go Mommy!" Grace says, holding up a badly lettered sign, but Leah knows it's supposed to say something along those lines too. She takes a deep breath and takes Kol's hand.

For the next four hours, she trips and struggles for muscle memory and suffers in high heels, but the nice thing about being a vampire is, it's harder to get tired.

"Same time next week?" Kol asks as she disembarks with her family at suppertime.

Leah groans.

Fay grins. "We'll be here."


End file.
